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Melanie stays in the woods, because she doesn't know what else to do. Nothing else is safe.
If Darrow has Hungries, she hasn't seen or smelled them. There probably aren't any -- otherwise, Sara wouldn't have been so surprised by her. And she would have been scared of her sooner, when it would have done her more good.
She keeps thinking about how scared Sara looked. She keeps thinking of how stupid it was to think this might just be a dream, or that she might not hurt people here.
Because she doesn't know how she got to Darrow, she can't figure out how to get back to London. She steers clear of houses, but she does try taking sudden, deliberate steps between two tree trunks, or into sunny clearings, to see if that will knock everything sideways again. It doesn't.
She keeps the mask on all the time, despite her solitude, because she doesn't want to take even the smallest chance of another outbreak. What if someone surprises her? It doesn't seem likely, but it could happen. She'll take it off when she needs to hunt, but that's all.
It feels strange to be taking such care with herself. Like a step backwards. But what she did in London made sense. In many ways, it was already done. Darrow isn't broken down like London, though, and there are people here who weren't born to this. Just because she finished it doesn't mean she wants to start it.
If that's what Darrow wanted her to do, it wouldn't have given her the mask in the first place.
The good news is that there are plenty of animals she can hunt in the woods. And as accustomed as she is to shelter and company, as much as she likes those things, she knows she can live without them. So she keeps on the move, staying as far from the city and its people as she can, killing time until she knows she has to hunt.
Hunting is something she puts off for as long as she can. The only time she lets her guard down is right after she's eaten, when she can't help it. It worries her to think that someone might come across her during that little stretch when she isn't paying attention, but there's not much she can do about it except hunt away from people and try to get her mask back on before she dozes off. At least if someone does find her, they'll find her when she's not hungry. It'll make it easier to get away without hurting them.
She means to hunt at night, to make it even less likely that anyone will find her, but she's never hunted in the woods before, and it's hard. There are more places for animals to run to, and fewer places where she might corner them. None of them are slow city creatures; they see her and they run, and they know how to run through forests better than she does.
By the time morning breaks, Melanie's getting desperate. She's made her way up a mountain, where there are some open slopes that have been cleared of trees. It's on one of these that she finally manages to catch a rabbit. Her hunger is bad enough that it's all she can do to make it to the treeline before crouching and tearing into her prize, finally, finally. Earlier, she had the presence of mind to slide her mask up her arm, where she wouldn't lose it; now, she doesn't remember to put it back on. She just slumps slowly to the ground, blood all down her front, the hunger reassuring her that she's all right, that nothing can harm her, that she has everything she needs and is perfectly safe.
She can rest.
If Darrow has Hungries, she hasn't seen or smelled them. There probably aren't any -- otherwise, Sara wouldn't have been so surprised by her. And she would have been scared of her sooner, when it would have done her more good.
She keeps thinking about how scared Sara looked. She keeps thinking of how stupid it was to think this might just be a dream, or that she might not hurt people here.
Because she doesn't know how she got to Darrow, she can't figure out how to get back to London. She steers clear of houses, but she does try taking sudden, deliberate steps between two tree trunks, or into sunny clearings, to see if that will knock everything sideways again. It doesn't.
She keeps the mask on all the time, despite her solitude, because she doesn't want to take even the smallest chance of another outbreak. What if someone surprises her? It doesn't seem likely, but it could happen. She'll take it off when she needs to hunt, but that's all.
It feels strange to be taking such care with herself. Like a step backwards. But what she did in London made sense. In many ways, it was already done. Darrow isn't broken down like London, though, and there are people here who weren't born to this. Just because she finished it doesn't mean she wants to start it.
If that's what Darrow wanted her to do, it wouldn't have given her the mask in the first place.
The good news is that there are plenty of animals she can hunt in the woods. And as accustomed as she is to shelter and company, as much as she likes those things, she knows she can live without them. So she keeps on the move, staying as far from the city and its people as she can, killing time until she knows she has to hunt.
Hunting is something she puts off for as long as she can. The only time she lets her guard down is right after she's eaten, when she can't help it. It worries her to think that someone might come across her during that little stretch when she isn't paying attention, but there's not much she can do about it except hunt away from people and try to get her mask back on before she dozes off. At least if someone does find her, they'll find her when she's not hungry. It'll make it easier to get away without hurting them.
She means to hunt at night, to make it even less likely that anyone will find her, but she's never hunted in the woods before, and it's hard. There are more places for animals to run to, and fewer places where she might corner them. None of them are slow city creatures; they see her and they run, and they know how to run through forests better than she does.
By the time morning breaks, Melanie's getting desperate. She's made her way up a mountain, where there are some open slopes that have been cleared of trees. It's on one of these that she finally manages to catch a rabbit. Her hunger is bad enough that it's all she can do to make it to the treeline before crouching and tearing into her prize, finally, finally. Earlier, she had the presence of mind to slide her mask up her arm, where she wouldn't lose it; now, she doesn't remember to put it back on. She just slumps slowly to the ground, blood all down her front, the hunger reassuring her that she's all right, that nothing can harm her, that she has everything she needs and is perfectly safe.
She can rest.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-28 11:10 pm (UTC)From:He's even more determined to help, now.
"So you feed on animals to sate the fungus," he repeats. "What about raw meat? Would that help at all? You wouldn't have to fend for yourself, then."
He manages a smile at how she describes magic. "Not just stories," he tells her. "At least, not where I come from." He pulls out his wand and makes blossoms burst from the end of it, holding the bouquet out for her to inspect, if she likes.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-29 12:01 am (UTC)From:Which isn't to say it doesn't matter at all. The hunger has distinct preferences, and raw meat isn't at the top of the list. But it will take what it can get, and as far as Melanie is concerned, not getting hungry -- truly hungry -- is more important than whether she thoroughly enjoys her meals or not.
She's about to insist that she doesn't need someone to bring her meat as much as she needs someone to restrain her, but then he does magic -- real magic! -- and she finds herself gawping, instead. Her nose is as sharp as it ever is, and she can tell he wasn't hiding those flowers up his sleeve or pulling them out of some other hiding spot. They just appeared, out of his... magic wand? An expression of incredulous delight flickers across her features, and she reaches for the bouquet, pulling it close to look it over. It feels as real as it smells. Though she treats it gently, as if it might turn to smoke if she's rough with it, it's solid and almost ordinary-feeling in her hands. They could almost be flowers she picked from some overgrown back garden, except tidier.
She wants to see more magic, but she also doesn't want to get distracted. "How will your magic make me safe?" she asks, nodding towards the city skyline. She's closer to it than she'd like to be, though too far off to smell anyone, at least. "There are lots of people down there. Can you stop me from hurting them?"
no subject
Date: 2017-08-31 09:47 am (UTC)From:"I feed my creatures raw meat," he continues. "I frequent the butcher's shop quite often. I could bring home food for you too."
He smiles when he watches the shifting expressions on her face at the appearance of flowers from his wand, pleased he could surprise, and, hopefully, delight her a bit. He holds out the bouquet to her, encouraging her to take them if she chooses.
"I can, if it comes to that," he nods. "There are restraining spells I can use, as a last resort. Before that, I could apply my magic to help keep the hunger of your fungus at bay. I can block out the overwhelming presence of people pressed in together in the city. I have a variety of spells at my disposal that I use for the creatures I take care of," he explains. "I see no reason why these spells shouldn't be able to help you, too."
no subject
Date: 2017-09-01 01:36 pm (UTC)From:Melanie fiddles absently with the bouquet, running her fingertips along the edges of leaves or the soft, smooth petals. She can live off raw meat, and if she has to be around people, it's safer for one to bring her food regularly than it would be for her to hunt for herself. But it's most important to take care of everyone else's safety, so if he can't do that, it doesn't matter how often he visits the butcher.
She carefully sets the bouquet aside, then rises to her feet. "Show me. One of the restraining spells, I mean. Please."
no subject
Date: 2017-09-03 11:52 am (UTC)From:The request catches him a bit off-guard. He blinks for a moment, taking her in. Her face is resolutely serious. And so he nods.
"Alright," he says, much as he is reluctant to do so. He steadies his wand and his arm holding it, pointing it at Melanie.
"Petrificus Totalus," he says as he casts the full body-bind curse at her.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-03 05:45 pm (UTC)From:She feels the spell hit her. Her arms and legs snap together, and she topples back onto the forest floor, as stiff and straight as a wooden plank. She can't move. She can't even try to move. The wanting to move is there, but it's all stuck in her head and can't make it to her limbs. It's a little like when the hunger takes over, except she could still get through, if she tried. She can't get through this. And she has the feeling the hunger couldn't either.
This is better than handcuffs and a mask. It's even better than the wheelchair. She can barely blink, let alone hurt anyone. She can't smile, either, but on the inside, Melanie is delighted.